Saturday, June 28, 2008

Feminism

I'm really not sure about the Atlantic Monthly. I think its a moderate, intellectual magazine that has view points from both sides of the political aisle. I'm tempted to think it's actually a slightly conservative magazine, which I think captures my political tendencies pretty well.

Anyway, here's a really great article about the downfalls of feminism at least in practice in America and in the world, and the benefits for women to just stay home...

This issue is of course complicated. Everyone needs to make their own decisions, and definitely some can make the very fine argument that men could just as easily stay home while the woman brings home the bacon. Sure.

But this article just focuses on the more narrow argument of why the mandate for women to work is not necessarily a good mandate to make. I think its the classical overreach of the women's feminism movement.

By the way, maybe I should just stop blogging and just link the Atlantic from here...

I apologize for my recent trend of just linking in Atlantic articles... I'm working on a few essays but I haven't had time or energy lately to really work on them.

Hopefully soon....

Anyway, find the article here.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, if any of you actually read this and need to decompress after reading something that depressing dig yourself out anything by Julie Beck and congratulate yourself on the choice you're choosing!!!

The Turley Times said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Sara, it's funny how two different people can have two entirely different reactions...

The article was really just trying to describe why working usually isn't all that glamorous, especially when it entails leaving the kids with paid caregivers.

So, I guess it was kind of negative from that point of view, but I didn't find it depressing...

I guess its because I work in a cubicle every day and know well how tedious and monotonous work can get, and I have a good job...

JT said...

i haven't read the article but i just wanted to point out that feminism encompasses so much more than a women's right to the workplace. so many of the advances women take for granted are a result of the feminist movement. i recently saw something on public television, as one small example, how '50s/'60s female secretaries could be sexually harrassed by male bosses and couldn't do a dang thing about it before the feminist movement.

Many women who went through the movement point out that younger women today have no idea what it was like for women. And if it weren't for feminist movements of the 19c and 20c, women would not have the right to vote.

And the '70s feminists were vehemently anti-porn, even had an office in the middle of--Times Square--in order to do their consciousness raising.

Just thought I'd get on my soapbox after midnight here on the east coast (where I share a city w/Gloria Steinem).

But this may have nothing to do w/your article.

tempe turley said...

Julie,

I agree, sorry if I implied otherwise.

RJ said...

Super interesting article Scott, keep them comin'. I'm excited for Davey to read it, he took a few feminism classes in his undergrad work and has TONS of thoughts on the issue that I find fascinating. Me, I feel too busy with a sick baby to say more than, "WOW, that was a good article." Hee hee.